Psychology – cognitive approach

• Assumption one

  COMPUTER ANALOGY

  Human mind compared to a computer

  Input process output

  Actively use cognitive process of perception action memory

  Mind compared with comp computer hardware, and the cognitive process with a computer software.

  Example, – multi store model of memory diagram.

  Info is input to the brain through senses

  Moves to short-term memory store

  Moves to long-term memory store

  Output when required
• Assumption

  Internal mental process
• Sees human beings as

  • Information
  • Processes
  • Essential
  • Cognitive processes
  • All work together to enable us to make sense of and respond to the world around us
• Cognitive processes consistently work together to help individuals understand their environment
• When we see a dog

  1. Search our memory stored

  2. Match it with something we've already experienced
• Mental process

  Allows us to respond to the world around us known as information processing
• Introspection


  A process used by cognitive psychologists to infer what's going on inside your head
• Cognitive psychologists investigate thinking in a scientific systematic way
• Given a stimulus

  Report how the stimulus made them think and feel
• Validity of introspection as an objective tool is questioned, but it is still used today
• Gambling


  • Thought process of regular versus non-regular gamblers
  • When gamblers lost they would blame it on the machine etc
• assumption, three

  SCHEMAS

  Based on past experiences.

  Organise packets of information that are built up through experiences, stored in long-term memory.

  Dog schemer – the Info we have stored is furt, bark, tail.

  Derived with past experiences, refined with interactions with people and the world.

  Example, burglar and puppy

  Burgles, schema - most people have experienced this, burglars schema= Male, young, balaclava
• Component one

  DYSFUNCTIONAL THOUGHT DIARY

  Keep a record of the event leading up to any unpleasant emotions experienced.

  Then record, automatic negative thoughts rate, how much you believe in these thoughts.

  Write a rational response to the automatic thoughts – rate their belief.

  re-rate their beliefs to the automatic response
• Component, 2


  COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING

  Client reveals more about thought patterns they work with therapist to change negative thinking patterns, this is called therapy during therapy.

  During CBT client, talk to challenge, dysfunctional, automatic thoughts.

  Where is the evidence – what’s the worst that can happen

  By challenging these thoughts, clients can try new ways to be behaving
• Component, three

  PLEASANT ACTIVITY SCHEDULING

  Plan for each day, something that gives them a sense of accomplishment.

  A break from normal routine.

  Engaging in these activities will induce more positive emotions.

  Focusing on new things will distract from negative thinking.
• Effectiveness of CBT

  RESEARCH SUPPORT

  Highly effective in treating depression and anxiety

  CBT was an effective antidepressant drug
• Effectiveness of CBT

  THERAPIST COMPETENCE

  Ability to: structure, sessions, plan, review, assignments, encourage and foster, good, therapeutic relations
• Effectiveness of CBT

  INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

  CBT may be more suitable certain people, so individual differences need to be taken into consideration when examining for effectiveness.

  CBT, less suitable for people people with high levels of irrational beliefs that resistant to change.

  Less suitable in situations where high stress levels in the persons life, therapy can’t fix
• Effectiveness of CBT

  EMPOWERMENT

  CBT empowers clients to develop their own coping strategies and recognise people have free will.

  CBT popular alternative to drug therapy
• Loftus and Palmer – methodology

  Two experiments

  In a lab

  Independent groups

  Different sets of PPS for each experiment

  Experiment, one – 45 PPS – five groups with nine PPS in each.

  Experiment, 2–150 PPS – three groups with 50 PPS in each
• L and P conclusions

  response - bias factors

  Memory representation altered

  Verbal labels
• L and P procedures experiment one

  5 groups, 9 PPS in each

  PP shown seven film clips of different traffic accidents.

  5– 30 seconds clips

  Questionnaire – given an account of what you’ve seen

  Asked questions and one critical question

  Questions, changes for each group: hit, smashed, collided, bumped, contacted
• L and P procedures experiment, two


  Investigate whether leading questions bias PPS memory.

  Part one: film of multiple car crashes

  Accident lasted less than 4 seconds

  Asked Question plus 1 critical question

  3 groups, 50 PPS in each.

  smashed, hit, controlled group – no question

  Part two: week later, PPS went back to lab

  Asked more questions – was there any broken glass?
• L and P findings experiment one. - mean speed estimates

  Smashed – 40.8

  Collided – 39.3

  Bump – 38.1

  Hit – 34. 0

  Contacted – 31.8.
• L and P findings experiment, two.

  Yes

  Smashed – 16

  Hit – 7

  Controlled – 6

  No

  Smashed – 34

  Hit – 43

  Control – 44
• L and P ethical issues- 1


  LACK OF VALID CONSENT

  They did not gain valid consent. if PPS were aware of the aim of the study, they would alter their behaviour. If they were aware of the leading question, they would be more carefully in their response.

  Deception was acceptable as it wasn’t causing PPS harm
• L and P ethical issue


  PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM

  Didn’t witness real accident, watched clips. they may not respond the same as if it was a real accident. One alternative – exposed PPS to real accidents, this could cause psychological harm. Could have post trauma from car crashes. This study avoided this issue by using film clips.
• L and P – social implications – 3PR


  WITNESS QUESTIONING

  Research such as L and P has led to the realisation of how often eye witnesses are unreliable.The questioning used by police has fled this, leading into changes being needed.

  Suggests that a positive impact of such research is that neutral wording is used during questioning in order to obtain the most reliable account from witnesses
• Strengths of cognitive approach – 3PR

  MEDIATIONAL PROCESS-connection, stimulus and response.

  Focuses on the important processes that occur between stimulus and response. example – cognitive psychologist look at ways of improving memory using retrieval cues.

  Useful
• Strength of cognitive approach – 3PR

  IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS- refused to applications in the real world.

  Usefully applied in therapy to successfully treat disorder such as depression. Example – children thinking develops have guided teaching practices and schools. Children thinking is not the same as adult thinking.

  Useful in the real world
• Strengths of cognitive approach – 3PR


  SCIENTIFIC APPROACH -empirical and testable

  Lens itself to objective and controlled scientific research. Example – memory research conducted under district, laboratory conditions, involving brain, scanning techniques – MRI to pinpoint scientific areas of the brain that are involved in short and long-term memory.

  Reliable and valid
• Weaknesses, cognitive approach – 3PR

  NATURE AND NURTURE-genetics and environment

  Doesn’t fully consider important elements of nature, nurture. doesn’t fully consider, important elements of nature, nature. Example the role of genes in human cognition is ignored, yet research into intelligence has consistently looked at the influence of genes, through the use of twin studies.

  Not fully valid as we are ignoring important elements
• Weaknesses of cognitive approach –3PR

  DETERMINIST APPROACH- argues behaviour is predetermined

  We acquire stereotypes about people in situations. Example – women with blonde hair are stupid, but fun people with glasses are smart.

  Made determine the way that we interpret situations, not useful and has limitations
• weaknesses of cognitive approach

  MECHANIST APPROACH -comparison to a machine

  Doesn’t take into account emotion. Portrays human behaviour is being like a machine

  Not fully valid
• How cognitive assumptions apply to CBT

  I thought influence are emotions and the behaviours that follow.

  Psychologist, believe, depression and anxiety, stemmed from faulty or irrational thinking.

  If a person is cured, her thinking patterns need to change.

  CBT is a form of therapy.

  Helps change these think pans as well as behaviour